EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - INVESTIGATION RESULTS ON REPORTED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TIJUANA 001174

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS, DEPT FOR DS, CA, DS/IP/WHA, DS/TIA/PII, AND MEXICO CITY RSO


E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MX ASEC
SUBJECT: EAC AMCONSULATE TIJUANA - INVESTIGATION RESULTS ON REPORTED
THREAT AGAINST AMCONSULATE TIJUANA

REF: TIJUANA 00001129 DTG 07 NOV 08

TIJUANA 00001174 001.2 OF 002


1.(SBU) On November 10, 2008, Post's Core Emergency Action
Committee (EAC) was convened to discuss the results of
investigation of the alleged threat of an attack against the U.

S. Consulate main building or Consulate Annex building in
Tijuana. EAC participants included CG, DHS-ICE, RSO, DEA, and
CONS.



2.(SBU) Post law enforcement agency representatives (DHS-ICE,
DEA, RSO) informed the EAC that, working in a joint effort since
November 4, they had investigated the claimed "attack plan".
Investigative interviews of the person reporting the threat (the
Subject) indicated that no actual attack was planned, only that
he had created a story to benefit himself and his family,
attempting to obtain US visas/parole for himself and family.




3. (SBU) The EAC was informed that, as a result of the
investigation, the Subject making the claim about the "attack
plan" was taken into custody on November 9 by Government of
Mexico (GOM) authorities. After the arrest and interview of the
Subject, the GOM Tijuana Region Military Chief Investigating
Officer told DHS-ICE that they believed that there was no
current credible threat against the U.S. Consulate Tijuana.



SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION




4. (SBU) Post law enforcement representatives began
investigating when Subject told DHS-ICE San Diego Field Office
representatives, on November 3, that he knew about a plan by a
drug cartel to shoot at one the U.S. Consulate Tijuana buildings
during a holiday or after-hours (when closed for business so as
not to hurt anyone). The Subject claimed that a Sinaloa Cartel
Cell from Culiacan, Sinaloa was behind the intended attack. The
Subject claimed that he had received money to make all necessary
logistical arrangements (i.e., purchase of a vehicle and assault
rifle). According to the Subject, the motivation behind the
attack was to exert more pressure from the GOM on Tijuana drug
groups. This increased pressure would in turn weakened Tijuana
groups, and thus enable the Sinaloa Cartel cell to more easily
control the Tijuana area of operation.




5. (SBU) The Subject was asked and he did agree to submit to a
polygraph examination, which was administered by a San Diego FBI
polygrapher, on November 8, 2008. The Subject failed his
polygraph examination. The examination determined that he was
being deceptive to two key questions.

(A) Did the Sinaloa Cartel ask you to initiate a plan to attack
the U.S. Consulate?

(B) Did the Cartel pay you $120,000 pesos to help fund the
attack?




6. (SBU) However, after failing the examination, on November
8, during a telephone call received from an identified Tijuana
Municipal police officer, the Subject negotiated to purchase an
assault rifle and a vehicle which the Tijuana police officer
would deliver to him. Several hours later that evening, the
Subject contacted DHS-ICE representative in Tijuana and said
there was an AK-47 type weapon in the vehicle ready for use in
the attack, which may occur within one or two days. The SOI
also claimed he might receive a telephone call the next day from
Sinaloa about flight arrival of two "shooters" and he was to
pick them up at the Tijuana airport the day before the attack.
The DHS-ICE Tijuana representative instructed the Subject to
stop any further preparations until he was contacted by DHS-ICE,
and the Subject agreed.




7. (SBU) On November 9 at 0830 hours, the Tijuana Consulate
law enforcement representative met to develop an appropriate
plan to handle the alleged threat in a coordinated effort. The
investigation indicated that the Subject himself may have
arranged to obtain a weapon to support his claimed knowledge of
the "attack plan". However, up to this time the Subject had
only showed a photograph of a weapon and no law enforcement
representative had actually seen a weapon to verify its
existence. The group agreed that GOM, preferably PGR/SIEDO

TIJUANA 00001174 002.2 OF 002


(Subprocuradoria de Investigacion Especializada en Delincuencia
Organizada/translated Sub-office of Investigation Specialized in
Organized Crime),needed to be informed to help investigate and
deter any possible attack or threat. Mexico City SIEDO
requested that the SIEDO representatives attached to the Mexican
Military in Tijuana handle the investigation, and a meeting was
arranged for 1030 hours that same day.




8. (SBU) On November 9, Consulate Tijuana's law enforcement
representatives met with Mexican Military intelligence officials
(SIEDO representatives) and provided the case information for
use in their investigation. That evening, the Subject was taken
into custody by Military officers. Thereafter, the Military
confirmed that a weapon had been located in the vehicle
described by the Subject, and the weapon was seized.




8. (SBU) On November 10, the Military Officials along with a
GOM PGR SIEDO prosecutor allowed Tijuana DHS-ICE and RSO
representatives to sit-in on a debrief interview with the
Subject. The Subject then presented a new story, claiming that
his original San Diego DHS-ICE handler had "set him up" by
creating the entire story so he could get promoted. The PGR
SIEDO prosecutor stated that the current charge pending against
the Subject was a single charge of possessing an illegal weapon
(reserved for military use). The prosecutor stated that the
Subject would be transferred to Mexico City for further
processing and that the investigation would be turned over to
PGR's Counter-Terrorism division.




9. (SBU) During the November 10 EAC meeting, the EAC members
recommended that that RSO provide Post personnel with a brief
summary of the concluded investigation so that they would be
informed of actual events rather than rumors.




10. SBU) Tijuana's EAC will continue to monitor the security
situation in Tijuana. All members will remain in close contact
with their local U.S. and Mexican contacts regarding any new
developments. For comments or questions, please contact RSO at
011-52-664-622-7464, or -7451.
KRAMER